page_title: Battle of Crooked Billet
section_title: Prelude
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Crooked Billet / Prelude
caption_attribution_description: Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, 1791-96
context_page_description: The Battle of Crooked Billet was a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on May 1, 1778 near the Crooked Billet Tavern. In the skirmish action, British forces under the command of Major John Graves Simcoe launched a surprise attack against Brigadier General John Lacey and three regiments of Pennsylvania militia, who were literally caught sleeping. The British inflicted significant damage, and Lacey and his forces were forced to retreat into neighboring Bucks County.
context_section_description: In late April Lacey began a series of maneuvers and patrols across the area that ended with his arrival on April 27 at the Crooked Billet Tavern in present-day Hatboro.  One of his straggling companies was attacked by a British patrol, and Loyalist spies informed John Graves Simcoe, leader of the Loyalist Queen's Rangers, of Lacey's whereabouts.
  In Philadelphia, General Howe ordered Simcoe, to "secure the country and facilitate the inhabitants bringing in their produce to market."  During the winter of 1778, British and Loyalist troops repeatedly led raids into Bucks County, despite the presence of Lacey and the militia.
  In April, Simcoe secured permission from Howe to launch an attack on Lacey and his militia.  On the afternoon of April 30, he and Lieutenant Colonel Robert Abercromby led their contingent of troops out of Philadelphia and towards the Crooked Billet.  By then Lacey's troops numbered about 400, including fresh arrivals from Cumberland and York Counties.  That night Lacey ordered Lieutenant William Neilsen to begin a patrol between 2:00 and 3:00 am, and ordered the brigade of Thomas Downey to stand on alert.  Neilsen failed to follow his orders, and his patrol only left camp shortly before daybreak on May 1.  They had not gone far when they spotted the advancing British.
caption: John Graves Simcoe, commander of the Queen's Rangers.
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